Gal Vihara

The site is located in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. It was created during the 12th century by the king Parakrama Bahu I.

Originally part of the king’s Northern Monastery, the Gal Vihara is comprised of four such carvings, each with an individual pose – thought to each represent a different stage in Buddha’s life – and of different sizes. Carved into the face of a large granite gneiss rock, the images are considered to be some of the best examples of ancient Sinhalese sculpting and carving arts, and make the monument the most visited at Polonnaruwa. The largest one is 46 feet high and depicts a reclining Buddha, while the oldest of the group, which shows Buddha standing, is 23 feet high.

The site was also where Parakrama Bahu I gathered a congregation of monks in order to purify the Buddhist priesthood, and later drew up a code of conduct for them. This code of conduct is recorded in an inscription on the same rock face containing the images of the Buddha. Today, the large site is hugely popular with tourists and Buddhist worshippers alike.